Positioning device for railway car couplers



A. E. SMALL POSITIONING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY CAR COUPLERS Jan. 29, 1929. 1,700,148

Original Filed June 16, 1926 Lveni or prikurasm ll Patented Jan. 29, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR E. SMALL, OF CHICAGO,- ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNION METAL PRODUCTS COMPANY, 01? CHICAGO,- ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAW'ARE.

POSITIONING DEVICE FOR BAILVVAY CAR COUPLERS.

Original application filed June 16, 1926, Serial No. 118,407.- Divided and this application filed October 29, 1927. Serial No. 229,658.

This device relates to means for automatically positioning the coupler of a railway car by gravity.

T'wo railway cars are automatically coupled together by the movement of their re speetive couplers forcing the tails of the pivoted knuckles behind gravity looks. The couplers are n'iounted in the cars so as to permit a limited amount of lateral movement Such limitation is necessary and essential because if the couplers were allowed to move too far to either side, the couplers of the two cars being coupled would pass each other and not couple, thereby defeating the object of the automatic coupler. The greater the lateral movement of a coupler the less side pressure on the striking casting when the cars are going around curves. This lateral pressure forces the wheel flanges against the rail causing considerable friction and wearing of the rails and wheels.

One of the objects of the invention is to increase the amount of permissible lateral movement of a coupler by providing automatic means for returning the couplers to the longitudinal center of the ear or at least close enough thereto so that the automatic couplers will couple. This is what is termed the coupling range. I

It is very often necessary to couple cars on curves and frequently when the radius of the curve is very small, as common around industrial plants, the couplers of the two cars will be so far out of alignment that they will not automatically couple. Another object of the invention is to automatically bring such couplers within coupling range. The outside rail (if a curved track is raised above the inside rail and I provide means whereby the coupler is moved toward the insideof the curve gravity. This automatic gravity means also returns the coupler to the longitudinal center of the car when the car moves from the curved to the straight part of the track.

In my device the lateral movement between the coupler and the carrier is eliminated, thus reducing friction and consequent wear on the parts. This is quite an item particularly in sandy countries because couplers are costly and the replacement of a coupler means keeping the car out of service.

Coupler positioning devices reduce the number of broken knuckles and guard arms on couplers which members are frequently bent or broken when the couplers are not within coupling range. Such devices also reduce the number of accidents to trainmen as they are not required to go between the cars and position the coupler preparatory to coupling.

A common form of car coupler positioning device comprises a coupler carrier swingab-ly suspended by links from some part of the car so that the objects and advantages mentioned above are obtained,- and my invention is an improvement uponsuch devices and consists in providing a shiftable bearing construction to increase the eccentricity of the weight of the coupler (and its associated parts) about its point of support; thus increasing the resultant forces tending to return the coupler to the longitudinal center of the car (or away therefrom when the car is tipped.) p

In my device the coupler carrier swirl-gably suspended from any convenient part of the car by a link at each of its ends and is provided with means, such as lugs,- to prevent lateral movement of the coupler relative thereto. These links have a rolling engagement-with the supporting car part and the carrier. The engaging surfaces are nonconcentric with each other so that upon lateral swing of the link one ofsaid surfaces rolls upon the other surface and gradually shitts the contacting or engaging line there'- betwcen. The curved surfaces may be arc uate or of any desired contour.-

ln the drawings:

Fig. I shows a typical application of the device to a railway car.

Fig. 2 is section on line 2-2 of Fig.- 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 1.

Figs. l and 5 are skeleton diagrams showing the device respectively in normal position and with the carrier moved laterally.

6' is a perspective view of a link.

l, 2 and 3 show a typical application of the device to a car wherein the coupler carrier element 3 is swingably suspended at its opposite ends to the striking casting (or other car part element by links 2. The link 2 has a rolling engagement with both the car part 5 at its upper end and with the carrier 3 at its lower end. The striking casting (or other part of the car) has an upwardly curved surface 26 over which the flat surface all 27 of the link rolls when the link swings laterally. The link is also provided with an upwardly curved surface 28 over which the under flat surface 29 of the carrier rolls. The eccentricity of the load on the link is not only increased by the distance the upper part of the link rolls upon the car part, but also by the distance the carrier rolls upon the link, which eccentricity is shown as B in Fig. 5. It will be noted that the contacting line between the carrier and the link is further from the normal vertical center line of the link than it would be if a pivoted connection were used between the link and the carrier, or if two downwardly projecting eccentric curved engaging surfaces were used between these members. The engaging line between the link of the car part 5 is lowered by hav ing an upwardly curved surface on the car part. The link may be provided with lateral extensions to increase the length of the bearing surfaces.

Figs. 4 and 5 show this adaptation (with the immaterial parts of the car omitted) in normal and upon extreme movement of the coupler 8.

In the usual centering device link, which is pivoted at both ends, the eccentricity of the load upon the link is equal to the lateral swing A of the carrier, but in my arrangement this eccentricity'is increased by the distance the link rolls upon the car part. In other words, when the carrier moves distance A (Fig. 5) the eccentricity is distance B, which is greater than A.

As one surface rolls upon the other the effective radius of the link is changed and the parts may be so proportioned as to maintain the same radius, or to increase or decrease it, as desired. In any event the eccentricity of the load about the support is increased.

It is desirable to provide some means to prevent slippage between the engaging surfaces, thus forcing one surface to roll upon the other, thereby maintaining operative relation between the parts of the device. This may be accomplished by a rack and tooth arrangelnent or by a single teeth 20, engaging a depression 21 in the other element or the link may be held in place resting between oppositely disposed portions 22-23 of the car part (or carrier).

The broad idea of shifting the bearings be tween the link and a car part and between the link and the carrier (either one or both) is covered by applications for patents, Serial No. 116,406, and No. 116,408, filed June 16, 1926, which applications also claim certain details of construction.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof within the scope of the claims will occur to persons skilled in the art,

This is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 116,407, filed June 16, 1926.

I claim:

1. In a railway car; the combination of a car part, a coupler carrier, and a pair of links swingaliily suspending the opposite ends of the carrier thereto, said car part and the lower ends oft-he links having upwardly projecting curved surfaces which engage flat bearing surfaces on the carrier and the upper ends of the links respectively.

2. In a railway car; the combination of a car part, a coupler carrier, and a pair of links swingably suspending the opposite ends of the carrier thereto, the car part and one end of the links having curved bearing surfaces which engage flat bearing surfaces on the carrier and other end of the links respectively.

3. In a railway car; the combination of a car part, a coupler carrier, and a pair of links swingably suspending the opposite ends of the carrier thereto, said links provided with lateral extensions, said car part and the extensions on the lower ends of the links having upwardly projecting curved surfaces which engage flat bearing surfaces on the carrier and the extensions on the upper ends of the links respectively.

4. In a railway car; the combination of a car part having a slot with upwardly proj ecting bearing surfaces on opposite sides thereof, a coupler carrier having a slot with straight bearing surfaces on opposite sides thereof and a pair of links swingably suspending said carrier from said car part, one of said links having oppositely projecting trunnions at its upper and lower ends, respectively, each of said upper trunnions having a straight rolling surface engaging an upwardly projecting bearing surface on the car part, and each of said lower trunnions having an upwardly projecting rolling surface engaging a straight bearing surface on the carrier.

ARTHUR E. SMALL. 

